Over 4 Lakh Protest Across France; Police Use Tear Gas, Water Cannons in Clashes
· World · India Today, Wall Street Journal, AP News
More than 4 lakh people protested across France on Saturday against rising living costs, economic inequality and deteriorating public services, with police deploying tear gas and water cannons in several cities. The Interior Ministry put nationwide turnout at 4.1 lakh, while trade unions estimated nearly 8 lakh participants, including 1.1 lakh in Paris. Clashes erupted in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Lille and Nantes, where protesters threw stones and set bins ablaze. Authorities deployed 70,000 officers — 10,000 more than last weekend — and arrested 135 people by early afternoon after uncovering fireworks and metal balls during searches. Paris resembled a locked-down city with boarded-up shops, shuttered museums including the Louvre, and over 20 metro stations closed. The Paris march was moved at the last minute from central Bastille to Porte d'Italie on the southeastern edge, a decision unions criticised.
Why it matters
Mass protests and violent clashes signal deepening public anger over cost-of-living pressures in the EU's second-largest economy, testing the government's ability to maintain order without political concessions.
Read the original report — India Today
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